


Amelioration

by HiddenNotoriousPoem



Category: Tales of Series, Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Action/Adventure, Dystopia, Friendship, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Original Character(s), POV Original Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-17
Updated: 2016-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-24 14:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7512343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenNotoriousPoem/pseuds/HiddenNotoriousPoem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I would kill a hundred Colettes if it meant my world would be saved. I'm not proud of that - but I will be one of the few who must make the hard decision, who will either be hated or loved when the story is over. I can live with that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Amelioration

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> I posed this on FanFiction (dot) net, same username, so if you like this story, so if you prefer that site know that I will be updating these at the same time.  
> This used to be something else entirely, and as I was writing an HP OC-insert, I remembered this little thing that I'd written several lifetimes ago. Well, I looked at it, polished it off, deleted 90% of it, and have decided to just run with it and have fun. I haven't done any kind of creative writing since middle school, and now that I'm in college, I want to try my hand at it again.  
> I've never taken any kind of writing class, so comments/critique/praise would be much appreciated! I've read Steven King's 'On Writing', and I'm very much flying by the seat of my pants here.  
> Enjoy! :)

"Then, we shall entrust the protection of the Chosen to Kratos, Raine, and Pax."  
I opened my eyes, having dozed off a little during the meeting. It was boring, just back and forth about Kratos' fee, our agreement, compensation for loss of limb; things that I already knew: that Raine and I were going to protect the Chosen, and now Kratos was. And frankly, I'm relieved. It's hard enough traveling across Sylvarant on my own, but having to protect Colette as well? I was downright terrified, and with Kratos, who can heal as well as handle himself with a sword, the Journey didn't seem so impossible after all. I mean, I can't really trust him, but mercenaries are loyal to whomever pays their fee, and we do need the extra hands - even if it's simply to be another meat shield for Colette.  
"I have no objections," Kratos said.  
"Nor do I," I added. The mayor gave me a look. I got the feeling that he didn't care what I thought, either way.  
I heard the door open behind me, and I turned around to see Lloyd and Genis enter the house. Colette sat up and smiled at them.  
"Thank you so much for your help earlier!" She said.  
Phaidra nodded. "Thank you for your assistance earlier. Please accept this small thanks." She got out of her chair, and reached for an item wrapped in brown paper. Excited, Lloyd took it from her and tore the paper off. His face fell when he saw it was a book.  
"Oh, wow! Consto Heusm! This is pretty rare, isn't it?" Genis asked, taking the book from Lloyd.  
"Yes," Phaidra answered, smiling at him a little tightly. She's never been too fond of Raine and Genis' presence in the village, but they never made trouble, so she really didn't have a legitimate reason to complain.  
"Uh, thanks, Phaidra. Say, were you talking about the World Regeneration Journey just now?" He sounded way too calm, just casually leaning against the doorframe. I knew what was coming next, though.  
"Yes," Phaidra answered, sounding resigned. I guess she knew what was coming next, too.  
"Wow! I want to go, too! I want to see Colette regenerate the world!" Lloyd's excitement bubbled over at this point, and I considered something. In this Journey, the more the merrier, right? Even though I'd end up babysitting Lloyd, and he'd get on my nerves, and we'd fight, and yell at each other, having another swordsman and mage in the group would be a big help. Plus - meat shields.  
"If Raine is going, I want to go, too," Genis said, sounding determined. I looked at him in surprise, but I understood. Lloyd, Colette, Raine, and I hope myself were really the only friends he had in the village. He'd be incredibly lonely with just Lloyd.  
"No." Kratos sounded annoyed. "You'll just get in the way."  
"Wh-what?" Lloyd asked, angry.  
"Wait," I interjected. "They might be useful." Kratos turned his glare at me, and I glared right back.  
"The battles at the chapel were nothing compared to the journey that awaits us. Children need to stay home." Kratos said firmly.  
"But having two more fighters could definitely be helpful. They'll only get better with time, anyway," I argued.  
"Yeah!" Lloyd agreed.  
"And besides, that's two more meat shields for Colette," I pointed out to Phaidra.  
"Wait, what?" Lloyd asked, confused.  
"No offense," I told them, shrugging.  
"None taken," Genis said calmly.  
The mayor slammed his hand on the table, and I jumped. "No. Kratos is absolutely right. Now then, we still have things to discuss. You two should go on home." He glared at Lloyd and Genis, and made a shooing motion with his hand. I gave the mayor a narrow-eyed look. Kratos and him disagreeing with me only made me want Lloyd and Genis along more . . . but I won't rock the boat, so to speak. And besides, I've never actually traveled with someone as young as Genis before, and he might very well decide it's too much to handle once the novelty wears off.  
I watched them leave, and Lloyd heaved a sigh before he went out the door, with Genis following dejectedly. I bet they'd prepared their defense and everything. After a moment, Colette got up and scampered out after them. I heard her fall, even after she closed the door, and I shook my head.  
"Why are you so intent on Lloyd and Genis going with you?" Phaidra asked curiously.  
"For exactly the reasons I said," I told her. My Martelin had improved drastically in the five months that I'd stayed here. My fighting skills had withered somewhat, but I had tried to stay sharp by sparring with Lloyd, although I practiced by myself sometimes. Genis also taught me some magic; he knew I was a half-elf, so thankfully I didn't have to make excuses about my magic ability with him.  
"Will you even consider it?" I asked her, making eye contact.  
"If you feel that you're not up to the task -" Kratos began, taking a condescending tone. I bristled.  
"Of course I'm not up to the task," I cut him off hotly. "Which is why I'm not going alone. I just feel that we should make no shortcuts when it comes to the Chosen's safety. And I personally don't think that a couple extra people could hurt in any way but slow us down a bit." I glared at him, then looked away. Goddess alive, I don't want to start this thing out by arguing, but this man is getting on my nerves. That made me nervous about our Journey ahead.  
"I will consider it, if you feel that strongly, niena." Phaidra answered, folding her hands in her lap. Niena was something she'd taken to calling me recently, as she gained (grudging) respect. It meant "Little Sister", and was a Church term. But since I wasn't an official member of the Church, it could also be just her way of letting me know who held the real power here. Phaidra is craftier than the Netherworld Prince, and I've always made sure not to cross her.  
Colette came in after that, and sat down beside Phaidra, looking troubled. "Grandmother, when are we leaving tomorrow?" She asked.  
"As early as possible," Phaidra answered. Colette nodded.  
"Are we done here?" She asked, still uneasy.  
Phaidra looked at me, then the mayor. "Yes."  
"May I be excused, then?" She asked, and stood up anyway.  
"Of course. Go rest, dear," Frank said. She smiled at him.  
"Pax?" Colette beckoned me upstairs, and I followed her. I heard Phaidra bid the mayor and Kratos good day, and go into the kitchen. We went up to her room, and sat on her bed.  
"Are you okay?" I asked her gently.  
She looked at me. "I'm so happy that you came here five months ago, Pax. I know that your first job is to protect me, but I feel that we've grown as friends."  
I smiled. "I'm honored to hear you say that, Colette. And I won't lie to you. I will gladly sacrifice my life to save yours if push comes to shove, but I value our friendship above all else."  
She hugged me, surprisingly. I hugged her back though. I felt that she really needed a friend, especially on this journey. Raine was a friend as well, but Raine . . . is hard to get close to. She doesn't let people in easily. And I bet Kratos was even harder to get close to, though frankly, I have no desire to get closer to him anyway.  
"Do you think that Lloyd should come on the journey?" She asked me, once we stopped hugging.  
"I . . . think that it might be a good idea to have two more people who know how to fight in the group," I said. I got the feeling she didn't want him coming along. "Do you not want him coming because it's going to be dangerous, or . . . because of what will happen at the end?" I felt like I was prying a little, but I wanted to know her motivations.  
"Both, I guess. I want him to be safe, and happy, and live a long, quiet life. I don't want to hurt him with the truth. He'd . . . he won't take that easily," she said, bowing her head.  
"No. He won't. And I know it will be harder to part with him at the end, too." It will be hard for me, as well. He's a good kid; excitable, sure, a little immature, maybe, but a good kid nonetheless.  
"Yes," she whispered. "I know that he will be hurt, about being left behind . . . but the pain would be worse if he came with us."  
"Then he won't come," I said simply. "Go downstairs and tell Phaidra that. I'll start to pack your things." I shooed her out the door, and picked up the bag that she would be bringing. We'd been deliberating for a few weeks what to bring, and at the last second I decided to pack a doll, the only thing Colette had left of her mother.  
Colette came back in as I was folding the blanket to lie on top of the other items. "Are you done already? I could have helped."  
"It's no problem." I closed the back by pulling the drawstring and tying it shut. "Are you all set?"  
"I . . . I think so," she answered.  
I sighed. "Well, there's always something you've forgotten, so I guess we'll find out in a couple of days, right?"  
She giggled. "Right!"  
"Are you tired? You need to get all the sleep you can." I said, walking over to her drawer and pulling out her sleeping clothes.  
"Yes, I -" She cut herself off with a yawn. "I feel exhausted. But I want to go see Lloyd before tomorrow. To tell him . . . what time we'll be leaving."  
I set her clothes on her bed. "Alright. Let's go." We left the house after informing Frank and Phaidra about where we'd be going, and met with Kratos, who was wandering around the village. He had a strange expression on his face that vanished as soon as he caught sight of us.  
"Uh . . . Mr. Kratos? Pax and I are going to go to Lloyd's house. Do you need a place to stay tonight?" She looked timid. Hopefully Colette didn't have the same apprehensions I did. I made a mental note to ask her later.  
"I'll go with you. And thank you for the offer, but I will be fine," he answered simply.  
"Alright, then," she said. As we passed Raine and Genis' house, we saw them outside, with Raine's hands on her hips and Genis looking scared and really guilty.  
"Professor? Genis? Are you all right?" Colette called worriedly.  
"Yes," Raine said tersely. "We're fine. Where are you going at this hour, Colette?"  
"To Lloyd's. I need to tell him when we're leaving tomorrow," she answered, looking down.  
"And to get her present," Genis snarked. Raine glared at him, and he winced.  
"Do you mind if we come with you?" Raine asked.  
Colette smiled. "Not at all!"  
We made the journey in silence, Kratos at the rear (my insides squirmed when he was behind me), Colette, Genis, and me at the front. Raine was slightly fuming the whole time, and I whispered to Genis, "what'd you do? I haven't seen her this mad in a while."  
Genis looked upset. "I . . . I went to the human ranch today."  
"But what about the non-aggression treaty?" Colette gasped.  
"Yes, what about it, Genis?" Raine snapped. Genis winced.  
"Sorry. I know. But the Desians broke it first!" He defended.  
"What happened? Did they see you?" I asked seriously. I doubt that he knew about the cameras at the Ranch, so even if he thought that he made a clean getaway . . . .  
"Y-yeah. I . . . was visiting a friend with Lloyd, and they saw us. But, Lloyd and I killed the ones who saw, so it should be okay . . . right?" His eyes were big, and I could tell that he'd been crying.  
My heart was thudding painfully in my chest, and I closed my eyes. Goddess alive, Genis, I thought, you're going to get yourself and the entire town killed. "You killed them? Fuck. How many?"  
Tears ran down his face again. "T-two or three."  
"What about the captives? You said you were visiting someone." If he disrupted their Exsphere schedule, the Fires of Niflheim were going to rain down on Iselia.  
"Yeah, they saw her, and punished her, and I think . . . ." He didn't finish, but I could guess what he was going to say. I looked at Raine, my face pale and pinched.  
"We'll catch up," I said to them, motioning Raine over. Genis was being comforted by Colette, and Kratos gave us an annoyed look, but all three went up the path to Lloyd's home. I looked at Raine. "He has to come with us. There's nothing Desians hate more than a spanner in their operations. They're going to retaliate."  
Raine let out a shuddering breath. "I know. I know. But, what about the village? When we leave tomorrow, they'll come . . . ."  
"Tell them to barricade themselves in the Temple. Tonight. Phaidra will make noise about it, but unless we want everyone to die . . . although, we have another option," I continued softly, not meeting Raine's eyes. She wouldn't like this, wouldn't agree with it, but I was relatively sure it would work.  
"Give Genis up?" She whispered, eyes wide. I nodded, and she let out a furious hiss and shook her head frantically. "No. No. I won't."  
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Grand Cardinal Forcystus is perhaps the most rational of the Desian command. He'll probably agree to spare the village if we give him the ones who messed with his operation. And -" I hesitated, because I'd only heard rumors about Forcystus, never met the man myself, and didn't want to give Raine false hope or lead her wrong. "Do you remember what I told you about the final process of removing Exspheres? The delicacy?" At her nod, I continued. "It's possible they'll purposefully botch the process and release the monster on Lloyd and Genis if they come forward when he confronts the village tomorrow. If they kill it . . . well, I've heard that he'll consider the debt repaid, and if they die, same thing."  
Raine's eyes were closed. "Goddess in heaven, we can only pray. So what do we do? You know more about this than I do."  
I sighed, and shook my head. "Have him stay. Tell the villagers to barricade in case of an attack, tell Lloyd and Genis that they have to admit to their crimes in front of the Desians. I think it's pretty likely he'll release Marble's monster on the village; he's not overly fond of slaying his supply of humans because a few guards and a host were killed. I think that's the best we can hope for." I looked at Raine closely; her eyes were still closed, and she was mouthing something. A prayer, I think.  
Finally, she opened her eyes. She wiped tears off and schooled her face into an impassive mask. "That's the best we can hope for, isn't it? I'll . . . I'll tell him. You talk to Lloyd, make sure he understands. And . . . and tell Phaidra and Frank. They'll -" she took a fortifying breath, "- they'll know what to do."  
I nodded, and silently we resumed our walk to Lloyd's house. His father, Dirk the dwarf, was the most famous craftsman in Sylvarant. I myself have a set of throwing knives that he made, and he re-carved the runes on my shortsword two months ago. His house is a testament to his skill; it's two stories, and several times larger than even Colette's. There's a balcony on the second floor, and I know the entrance to his workshop is on the first floor, the stairs leading several stories underground to where he does the more dangerous metalworking and runic carving.  
When Raine and I arrived, we could see Colette and Lloyd talking on the second-floor balcony. Genis was petting Noishe, and Raine went over to talk to him. I looked around, wondering where Kratos had gone, and circled the house to find him. I found him looking at the gravestone in the back.  
He turned around when I came near. "Do you know whose grave this is?"  
"Yeah. It's Lloyd's mom," I answered. He had a strange look on his face.  
"Hmm . . . . Anna. Is his father still alive?" He asked, turning back towards the grave.  
"I have no idea. But I believe Dirk raised Lloyd from when he was very young." I didn't know much about Lloyd's past, and I doubted that Lloyd did either.  
"Yes . . . ."  
I gave him one final look, and then forced myself to turn around and walk back to the front of the house. Everything that man does rubs me the wrong way, although I have to consider that it's just my nerves making me short and tense. Or perhaps my innate distrust of strangers. Raine, for all her maturity and blank faces, is an open book, and her motivations are easily explained.  
Lloyd and Colette had come down by now, and Lloyd was talking to Genis and Raine, with a crumpled expression. "Are you ready to go?" I asked Colette. She nodded.  
"Pax . . . do you think that the Desians are going to come after the village because of what Genis did?" Colette asked.  
"I'm almost positive. A Desian ranch is home to all of the Desians who live there. That means it's very well guarded, and there were probably more people who were on lookout and who saw the fight." I tried to be as honest as possible without telling her about the cameras. The technology of the Desians far surpassed those of the common people of Sylvarant, though when something broke the Desians had no clue how to fix it. It's a testament to how old those strongholds are, that they contain secrets and power that the people of Sylvarant couldn't even dream up.  
"But . . . they broke the treaty first!" Colette said, her face intense as she stared at me.  
I shook my head. "Colette . . . they don't care about that. If a couple of kids had been seen playing around the ranch and had to be chased off, that'd be one thing. But," I looked at Lloyd and Genis, who had twin expressions of guilt and despair on their faces, "they killed Desians, and probably caused the death of a captive. Those two things, together, regardless of who broke the treaty first, is enough for the Grand Cardinal to gather his forces and attack Iselia."  
Colette sucked in a deep breath. "We - we have to do someth -"  
"No," I said, shaking my head and taking a hold of her arms. "Colette, look at me." She looked up, grief written on her face. "Your situation is even more dangerous now. And, trust me, the Grand Cardinal won't slaughter the entire town. He needs our food and a source of human captives. Triet isn't enough for a ranch of that size." Colette's eyes squeezed closed, and she clasped her hands in front of her.  
"That means we need to leave even earlier, tomorrow," she said in a quavering voice.  
"Yes, Chosen," Kratos answered for me, and I nodded my agreement.  
"Let's go home, then," I said. "You need to sleep." I glanced at Lloyd, and didn't move when the group turned around and walked back toward the village. "Raine tell you what I told her?" He nodded. His face was serious, and, contrary to Kratos' belief, and even Raine's, Lloyd is perfectly aware of the precarious situation the town has with the Desians. He knows the score, and how to behave, which is why I was so shocked at his actions today. "Why did you go to the ranch, Lloyd?"  
"Genis," he answered simply, and I nodded, understanding. Genis, for all his brilliance, still had a naive view of the world that firmly divided things into Right and Wrong, Fair and Unjust. Lloyd's well aware of the gray areas, and Genis will be, too, if he survives tomorrow.  
"Listen, here's some advice," I told him. We sat down on one of the posts in Noishe's pen, the giant thing whining and nosing at Lloyd's leg. "I have no idea if Grand Cardinal Forcystus will come to the village himself tomorrow. But, whomever seems to be in charge, if they ask the people responsible for the deaths to step forward, make sure you're in front of Genis, and tell them you were trying to protect him. Apologize. Be as respectful as possible. And -" I hesitated in telling him about the monster that the Exsphere could produce. I had told him and Dirk a bit about the process, and told them that the host usually died when the Exsphere was taken off, but I didn't mention the way it could sometimes cause the host's mana to twist wildly out of control. That sort of thing has to be seen to be believed. "Head for Triet, with Genis. I'll make sure we wait there at least a week. If neither of you are there, we'll move on." I let out a shaky breath, and Lloyd grabbed my hands, squeezing for a second. I looked up him, both our faces solemn.  
"Thanks, Pax," Lloyd said, his voice hoarse with what I assume is fear. "I'll see you in Triet. We'll see you in Triet." He finished fiercely, his expression morphing from solemnity to determination.  
I gave him a quick smile. "Good luck."  
________________________________________  
There was no big turnout the next morning, which was nice. Phaidra, Frank, and the Mayor were there, of course, and Colette had a solemn goodbye from her family. Phaidra made sure that I had my Order credentials, which would be essential when we stopped in towns. We all met at the plaza as soon as the sun came up over the trees, and then left, Kratos and Raine leading the way, Colette and me following behind. We made light conversation the whole way, stopping at the House of Salvation between Iselia and Triet at nightfall of the second day.  
The next morning, Raine and I looked toward Iselia again. Neither of us had seen any giant clouds of smoke, so I hoped that the town had escaped relatively unscathed. There would be deaths, though, and fires would be set. The Desians couldn't let it get out that two boys had killed some of their own and caused a host to die before the Exsphere matured, and their town was left unharmed. They had to send a message, and fear is one of the most effective motivators.  
________________________________________  
"The town won't be razed," Kratos said, quietly. We were sitting around a small fire in the woods, Colette having been quiet and drawn since we left. I get the feeling he said that mostly to her, and she bit her lip and looked at him, not seeming sure if she should believe him or not.  
"Don't worry so much, Colette," I said softly, bumping her shoulder with my own, "once you complete the Regeneration, no one will ever have to worry about Desians again."  
She let out a big breath, and nodded. "Yes. You're right. And, um, thank you, Mr. Kratos."  
The man said nothing, and didn't even nod, just continued to gaze out into the darkness. The normal night sounds surrounded us; birds, insects, bigger animals, and the few monsters who were victims of the fluctuating mana levels just as much as the people were. Their mana made them mutate and grow more aggressive, just as plants refused to grow or grew wrong, just as some humans found themselves aging faster or developing mana-related illnesses that were incurable.  
We're doing this for them, I thought to myself as I took the first watch while the others slept. Hundreds will die in the meantime . . . but all will die if we fail. I looked over at Colette. I know that it's hard for her, who takes her duty as Chosen with a grace and dedication that I couldn't match, were I in her place. The brutality of the Desians left me wondering more and more about the state the world would end up in, were things to continue as they were. The Desians were the sworn enemy of the Chosen, and yet the Chosen was supposed to Regenerate the world, replenish the mana levels. Surely that would only benefit all? Those thoughts, that dissent, is what lead to me leaving their ranks and traveling to Iselia to assist the Chosen. And once the Tower of Regeneration had appeared, I knew that I had found my purpose at last.  
My hand clutched a small, glass-like stone that was strung on a thin, leather cord around my neck. The stone was nothing special; just a river-stone, silvery-gray with flecks of quartz. Its exterior was perfectly smooth, and when I found it, there was already a small hole in it, perfect for stringing on a necklace. I gave it to my father Yule, the midwinter celebration. Despite it being nothing more than a smooth and worn rock, he acted as if it was a sapphire embedded in gold. He wore it everyday until he died, after which I started wearing it. It reminds me that we used to celebrate different holidays than the Church of Martel, despite them being on the same days. It reminds me that my father moved heaven and earth for me. It reminds me to never let the others know that I used to be a Desian, one of the most despicable people imaginable.  
I look at the stars, constellations I don't know the name of, until the moon is at its apex and I wake Kratos for his turn.  
________________________________________  
We reached the edge of the desert on the fourth day of our Journey. I know from stories I've read and conversations with locals that the desert didn't use to be so big, that it's been expanding, little by little, since the last Chosen completed the Journey. I've lived most of my life in the northern region of the Diabol continent, about the same latitude as Iselia, and I'm not looking forward to traveling through the desert again. I did it once, by myself, five and a half months ago when I first traveled to Iselia, and the entire experience was a nightmare. Thank You, Great Mother, for giving me companions this time, I thought, shading my eyes from the sun as we crossed the dunes.  
Colette wasn't as morose as she'd been for the past few days, but I know that she was wilting in the sun. We made sure to stay under the cover of the trees until 6 o'clock in the evening, when we finally set out. We had two hours until sunset, and after it got dark, Raine would light her staff so we could see. It would attract the attention of some, but any kind of attack from her staff would see to it that monsters kept their distance. As far as I can tell, we made good time, and would reach Triet in hopefully another day.  
"Will Lloyd and Genis be okay crossing the desert by themselves?" Colette wondered. Night had just fallen, and the light from Raine's staff was more than enough for us to see if there was anything ahead. Kratos, Raine, and I had all been to Triet before, and knew how to navigate by the stars, although Lloyd would be entertaining us with stories about the constellations were he here.  
"Lloyd's been to Triet before, by himself. Well," I amended, "he took Noishe, but the big baby won't exactly protect him, so he was more or less alone."  
"Lloyd's journeyed to Triet alone?" Kratos asked.  
I shrugged. "Yeah. I think Dirk has a couple of regular customers in Triet, so Lloyd will deliver stuff occasionally."  
"That's right, I forgot!" Colette said brightly, her good mood restored. "He'll be fine! They'll both be fine!"  
If they made it out alive, I thought. I could tell Raine and Kratos were thinking the same thing.  
"A journey through the desert is difficult for a child," Kratos murmured, to himself, mostly.  
I responded anyway. "Lloyd's tough. And he can be a brainless idiot sometimes, but he's never careless with his own survival, or others' lives. And for some reason, the weirdo loves the desert. Can't stand the cold." Seriously. If you're cold, you can always wear more clothes, or build a fire, but if you're too hot? Can't take your skin off, unfortunately.  
"Yes. I suppose there's more to him than meets the eye," Kratos muttered.  
"Lloyd's amazing!" Colette chirped, and I smiled at her, amused. She'll sing Lloyd's praises every day of the week, play up all his good qualities to absurd levels.  
Though she could probably find the silver lining in any storm cloud, I decided.  
"He knows how to make things, especially from wood. He repairs all the bows of the militiamen when they break, for free! And he always plays with the little kids at school so they don't make a fuss, and he'll give his food to someone if they're hungry, and he knows how to make a lot of different bird calls!" Colette said all this in one breath, and took another to start again, but I put my hand on her shoulder.  
"I think he gets it, Colette," I said gently. I looked at Kratos, who had a vaguely uncomfortable expression on his face. A little guilt, I guess, for thinking so little of Lloyd at first. Well, I thought, if all I'd seen of Lloyd was what I saw at the Temple, I wouldn't be too impressed either. "Lloyd's an acquired taste," I offered to Kratos, making eye contact before he glanced away. "And a survivor. He's been blessed by the Goddess with ridiculous amounts of dumb luck, so I'm not too worried about him." And that's true. The Desians won't kill Genis because he's a half-elf, even though he's living with humans in the village instead of in the ranch. I don't want to get Colette's hopes up, but I'm reasonably sure that he'll make it out of the confrontation at the village alive.  
We continued into the night. Nothing bothered us, though I saw some flickering eyes every now and then. Raine walked just in front of Colette, while Kratos and I stayed to her sides. I wasn't concerned about bandits. There are only a few caravans that follow the herds in the desert, and there just aren't enough people passing through for them to take a hold of the region. What we had to worry about was a Desian patrol, though hopefully they would be tied up in Iselia for some time.  
________________________________________  
When we got to Triet, it was mid-afternoon. The gallows erected in the town square held three bodies, absolutely still. The smell was atrocious. We hurried to the chapel behind the market and met Father Mihel at a side door. Luckily, he had been training under Phaidra when the pastor here died suddenly two months ago, so he knew Colette, Raine, and me, and I didn't have to use my Order credentials. He led us inside to a small room behind the sanctuary, which held one rope bed, a basin, a low table, and one small window. The room was clean, though, and more importantly, free.  
"Chosen, I am so happy that you're here," he said, grinning at her. I've always though his mouth was too big for his face, and whenever he smiles, he shows too many teeth.  
"We're happy to be here, Father," Colette said, smiling back. "Do you have any other beds for my companions?"  
"That's not necessary," Kratos and I said at almost exactly the same time. We glanced at each other, and he continued to speak. "Chosen, we are perfectly fine here. Thank you, Father, for your kindness."  
Father Mihel's smile somehow grew wider, and I grimaced; it looked like it was going to jump off his face and rip someone's throat out, or something. "It's my sincerest pleasure."  
"Father, we're going to be staying here for at least a week," I said. "Is that agreeable to you?"  
His horrid smile grew, and I was forced to look away, pretending to be examining the view of an alley out of the window. "Of course, Acolyte Pax. Forgive me, but I must prepare for evening Ritual. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to tell me, please." He bowed a little to Colette and walked out of the room.  
"We should attend Ritual!" Colette said, setting her things down on the table. Her chakrams clinked at she gently placed them on top of her satchel.  
I put my things beside hers, and shook my head. "Not a good idea. We need to lay low and remain as inconspicuous as possible, since the Desians may travel here after they're done in Iselia. The fewer people who know where we are and when we leave, the better."  
"I agree," Raine said. "I'm sorry, Colette."  
Colette sighed sadly, and shook her head. "It's fine. I understand." She began cleaning dirt and sand out of the blades of her chakrams, humming to herself.  
"I'd like to spar with you," Kratos said to me suddenly. I raised an eyebrow, but nodded. I retrieved my knives and shortsword from the table and followed him out into the alleyway. We walked to an empty little courtyard behind the chapel, shaded and secluded, so the noises from our fight wouldn't alarm the residents. "What kind of sword is that?" Kratos said.  
"A Desian shortsword." I answered, holding it out to him. He took it and looked it over critically, eyes lingering on the runes and edge. I looked at him as he looked at it; I could tell he knew about swords, and seemed a bit suspicious of the runes. Inwardly I felt uncomfortable, but I betrayed no emotion. The sword was my father's, and all he told me was that it was dwarven-made, something that Dirk confirmed when I showed it to him. The Desians hadn't anything like that, though some did use similarly-sized swords.  
"There are runic carvings on it," he said, simply, as he handed it back to me.  
I shrugged. "It's dwarven-made, though not by Dirk. The runes are for sharpness and durability, or so he told me."  
"I assume you took it from a dead Desian?" He asked mildy, and I made sure not to pause before answering.  
"Yeah." I tried to be as casual as possible. "I lived most of my life in Luin, and when I was really young my father and I came across a Desian who'd died in the woods, half-eaten by animals. My father took his sword and Exsphere, and when he died, I took them." It's the story I've told every time someone asked me about the sword or my Exsphere. Besides, at that time I was living in Luin, and there was a very late frost that killed a lot of the crops that year, so both the village and the Desians went hungry. It's not unreasonable to assume that a Desian was killed by a hungry animal while hunting himself.  
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Where'd you get yours?"  
"Desian." He answered shortly. I wanted to roll my eyes. He got all suspicious of me and my sword, but got defensive when someone reciprocated? The man had the oddest reactions. Most of the time he was mellow, never offering opinions unless asked, but sometimes his buttons got pushed, and that resulted in startling displays of emotion from the usually taciturn man. "How long have you used the sword?"  
I considered how much to tell him, exactly. I had been taught hand-to-hand fighting before I'd been given the sword, but I generally told people that I was taught swordplay by mercenaries who accompanied pilgrimages, and that I had ended up doing that before I came to Iselia. Not a lie, really; I'm one of the few half-elves blessed with human-like ears, and my hair is a dark, dark violet that looks mostly black, and with my experience with a blade and traveling, I easily worked as a mercenary the year after I left the ranch, before I came to Iselia. I decided to go with mostly-honest. "Seven years, approximately. I traveled with mercenaries who taught me, though that was sporadic. I worked as a mercenary in eastern Diabol, too. How about you?" I finished, challenging him a bit. He's going to piss me off if he gives a story the exact same as mine, again, I thought.  
"My father taught me," he answered quietly, a pensive look coming over his face. "I, too, worked as a mercenary, though mostly between the towns of Hima and Izoold." I nodded in response, satisfied. "And you throw knives, as well?" He asked.  
I nodded again. I had six knives in total: one on each ankle, one on each thigh, and one on each wrist. These, Dirk made for me, though I've been throwing knives far longer than I've been swinging a sword or fists. "Yeah. I've been doing that since I was old enough to throw one and hunt with my father."  
He looked thoughtful for a second, then nodded. "Alright. Let's go ahead and spar, then. I'll ask you not to use your knives, please."  
I smirked a bit, but nodded. We took our stances, then began.  
________________________________________  
I am so thankful that both Kratos and Raine know the healing arts. I had underestimated his strength, even with an Exsphere, and only my reflexes saved me from broken ribs. I'm much shorter than Kratos (much shorter than a lot of people, if I'm being honest), so it was easy for me to duck and weave and strike low. Our first spar was slow and cautious, both of us getting a feel for our opponent. I could tell that Kratos was head and shoulders better than me, and he pulled some moves on me that I'd never seen before. But I've always been comfortable with my blade, and I was one of the best in my training class, so he didn't wipe the floor with me. Much. I will admit that my skills have waned since I left the Desians, and though I kept in practice by sparring with Lloyd (mostly teaching, as he is entirely self-taught, and had no technique to speak of), it wasn't enough.  
Kratos had a different air about him now, after our spar. Once the sun started to set, we went back to Father Mihel's room to rest. Colette and Raine were reading; Colette the Riels, and Raine some book in another language. They both looked deeply engrossed in whatever they were reading, and didn't notice when Kratos and I entered.  
"Have you eaten?" I asked Colette, kneeling down where she sat, her back against the rope bed.  
She looked up and smiled at me. "Hello. No, we haven't. Did you have fun?"  
A little smile slipped out of its own volition. "Well, I've done better things."  
Colette smiled at Kratos, patiently waiting for his answer as well. He smirked a bit. "I've done worse things," he said dryly. I smirked too.  
"Raine, you want food?" I asked, tapping her shoulder since she still hadn't realized we were back.  
She jerked and looked up at me, startled. I raised an eyebrow, and she cleared her throat. "Yes. Father Mihel came by and said that we could dine with him this evening after Ritual."  
"Alright," I said, then sat down beside Colette and read over her shoulder. The Riels are written in Martelin, the language of angels and the Church, and I had to learn it as a part of my acolyte certification. All Church services are supposed to be given in Martelin, but I know for a fact now that in the far East, pastors either use the vernacular or make it up.  
The sun was well below the horizon when Father Mihel collected us for dinner in an antechamber off the sanctuary. After that we went to sleep, and as I had predicted, we had to fight to convince Colette to take the bed while we slept on the floor. I know that she'll feel bad about it all week, but I told her that none of us would sleep unless she slept on the bed.  
Finally persuaded, we all settled down to sleep. I woke a few hours later, confused as to why. A shadow darted across the room, and I saw Kratos slipping through the door and closing it softly behind him.  
________________________________________


End file.
